Today I am so very thrilled to have Regan Taylor visiting my blog! She is the heart and soul of a romance writer…and so, so much more! Welcome, wonderful Regan Taylor!

One of the best things about writing is you get to create the ending you wish could our would happen in a real life situation. Another is that our characters can say the things we wish we could but for whatever reason, we can’t. Know what I mean? Some of the things my characters have said are:

In WITH ALL DISPATCH Molly Tanner has woken up to find her roommate is disappeared, apparently traveled back in time:

“Not that anyone has time to pack before time traveling.” Molly laughed, just short of hysterical. “Right. Like I have so much experience with time travel. Let’s see what or who I know who’s done it? There’s Black Eagle coming here. And then there’s Black Eagle going back to his home and yup, that’s a lot of experience you have there, Molly. You’re a virtual expert. Yup, and going a little bonkers here talking to yourself.”

In WORLD IN HER HANDS Sarah Dinetti has Mr. Tall, Blond and Gorgeous and when she confides in her friend, Jan, hears about it she says:

“Well color me relieved. Seriously, Sarah, it’s time to let that chapter end. He’s dead weight in your life. It’s not like you even really have a relationship with him. He’s just there in your life, sponging off you. Cut him loose and look for some fresh meat. And even if the brother didn’t ask for your number, why don’t you get his? Call him and ask him for coffee or sex or something.”

And, in MISTAKEN BRIDE, Kendrick says the one thing I like hearing from my own Mr. Tall and Gorgeous:

“Oh yeah, she’s the one all right. She’s definitely the one I want.”

What is the most memorable line you’ve read from a character in a favorite book?

There will be a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift certificate awarded at the end of the tour. Enjoy the blogs and leave comments for the opportunity to be the grand prize winner. One entry ticket per comment!

Today I am so happy to be visiting with author Susan Roebuck on the seventh stop of our Summer Blog Tour! This week you can find me visiting with Corinne Davies at her blog, www.daviesromance.blogspot.com

Welcome, Susan!

Two Truths and a Lie

I love this game – it’s a great ice-breaker. If you’re a teacher, try it in the classroom on the first day of classes.

So, which one of these is my lie?

1. I’ve been on a ship that hit an ice-berg.

I was on an ice-breaker that sailed up the coast of Norway, visiting the beautiful fjords and bird islands that abound in that area. The ship continued up past the Arctic Circle before it went around the Svalbard archipelago. It was June and so the sun never set which was a little upsetting to my body clock because I don’t think I’ve gone to bed in daylight since I was about six years old.

I was overawed by the stark landscape of black rocky mountains with patches of snow and the sapphire colored glaciers, alarming in their retreat. It was disturbing to know that if for some reason I was abandoned on land, I wouldn’t survive for long.

The days were never boring, as the ship continually encountered an assortment of wildlife. However, the captain said that if they spotted a polar bear at night, they’d wake me up whatever the time. And that’s just what happened – 3am with the sun in the sky and a polar bear with two cubs sniffing around on the ice less than a quarter of a mile away.

Later that day the captain wanted to show off his prowess at maneuvering the ship and he approached a beautiful blue iceberg, slowly inching along until the ship’s bow was actually touching it. Then the first mate leaned over and hacked off a lump of ice for our evening drinks.

2. My novel, Perfect Score, was originally set at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. My inspiration came after a trip I had to the Catskills in Upstate New York. I stayed in a wooden ski lodge that reminded me of The Munsters’ Mansion with its huge towering turrets where bats flew about at sunset. The local village had a pall of suspicious-smelling smoke over it and the tiny shops sold homemade handicraft, while their owners wafted about in open sandals and long dirndl skirts with spaced-out expressions.

A local tennis pro believed in the success of levitation – which he didn’t, unfortunately, manage to demonstrate. And I thought, “This is full of the quirky characters that I want to populate my novel.”

3. I once saw a ghost. I must have been about 11 years old and I went with my sister and parents to spend a holiday in a converted school-house in Galway, Ireland. The place dated back to the 1700s (according to a plaque above the main doorway) and smelt of chalkdust. The window in my bedroom was on the floor (not half-way up the wall as is normal) and you had to lie down to look out at the donkey in the field outside. One night, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, I saw a figure at the foot of my iron bed (which creaked horribly, by the way). The figure, which I believe was a man wearing a large hat, was wispy like smoke, holding a glowing lantern and peering at me in its strangely golden light. I remember becoming sweaty and shivery at the same time, and being unable to utter a word. We stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but was probably only seconds, before I dived under the bedclothes (I was only 11, remember). I didn’t sleep much that night, too scared to move a muscle and so didn’t emerge from the sheets until morning. I never saw the apparition again – but that might have been because I slept under the bedclothes from then on until the end of the holiday. But, even so, being under the sheets didn’t prevent the feeling that something or someone was checking me out.

Feckless, exasperating Alex Finch is a rich, handsome and talented singer/songwriter who longs for two things: a career as a professional rock singer, and to have his love for Sam Barrowdale reciprocated. But drifter Sam’s two aims are simply to earn enough money to pay his sister’s medical bills and to hide from the world his reading/writing and speech disability. At this time the word “dyslexia” is generally unknown so to most people he’s just a “retard”. From the severe knocks life’s dealt him, Sam’s developed a tough outer coating and he has no time for a spoilt, selfish guitar player. Despite his defects, Alex’s love for Sam never wavers and when Sam unexpectedly disappears, Alex begins a somewhat bungling quest to find him, only to discover that Sam has a fearful enemy: Alex’s powerful and influential yet sociopathic uncle. As Alex spirals downwards towards alcoholism, many questions need answering. Just why did Alex’s evil uncle adopt him at age eleven yet deny him any affection? And what’s the mystery behind Alex’s father’s death? Both seem to face unbeatable odds. Are they doomed to follow separate paths forever?

There will be a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift certificate awarded at the end of the tour. Enjoy the blogs and leave comments for the opportunity to be the grand prize winner. One entry ticket per comment!

July 8th –Week 6 – “If you could organize a dinner party, which fictional characters (choose some from your own books too) would you invite and what would you cook?”

It is a pleasure to be on your blog this week Regina. Such a great topic too.

I would dip into my favorite books and invite Jamie Fraser of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Jamie is a charming, faithful, young alpha rogue when we meet him in the first book, ‘Outlander’. In the rest of the series (which is promised to continue) Jamie is a mature man of forty plus. His years of struggle without his beloved Claire have not embittered him. Rather, he has grown into a man sensitive to the needs and desires of all he meets. He overcomes the mandates of his time (eighteenth century Scotland and New World) to take under his wing those of low social status, questionable morals, racial underdogs and even those who have wronged his beloved Highlanders. As a time travel piece, Jamie is called upon to accept the sensibilities of a far future time in which he will never feel comfortable.

If I could bring along two characters from my contemporary novels Shadows Steal the Light and its spin off, Hog Wild, I would invite rock star recovering alcoholic Colin Dulow and his manager and childhood friend, Kyle Matthews. Both these men have demons that require them to stretch the very fabric of their beings to grow into the men they want to be. Both men fall in love with the same women. One is not allowed to pursue her; the other knows he should not. These life long friends have that friendship severely tested. Each is strong beyond even his private imaginings. Both are proud Englishmen who have grown into international celebrity, handling the super human restraint required to remain ethical and intact in the spotlight. As is truly said of power, fame too corrupts absolutely.

It would not matter what I served these men as they are so much more interested in the woman before them. Each of them are consummate gentlemen. Each knows it is well worth his time to display genuine interest in his hostess. Each knows that patience and attention to detail will win respect. Each is charming in his unique way. We could be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches–it would not matter. The conversation would be fascinating.

Sharp wit and pervasive intelligence would run as undercurrent. Each the definition of Alpha, none would take advantage of that strength.

Jamie’s rendition of the ‘45 and the aftermath of the disastrous Culloden massacre would be riveting. Colin and Kyle, through their modern paradigm, might provide perspective across the centuries and convey the healthy respect in which present day England holds the proud and powerful Scot.

And I—I would revel in the magnetic presence of these men.

You can find Diana’s Outlander series worldwide in brick and mortar bookstores as well as online. It is a powerful legacy that shall live in the hearts of its readers for generations to come.

The year is 1945. Claire Randall is traveling with her husband when she touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is hurled back in time to a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord 1743. Catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, she soon realizes that an alliance with James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, might be the only way to survive. Thus begins a work of unrivaled storytelling that has become a modern classic.

Shadows Steal the Light is available thorough Amazon and other fine book purveyors everywhere in both electronic and print format.

It’s love at first sight for rock star Colin Dunlow when he runs into sultry jazz singer, Jenna Lindstrom, with a few complications. The woman of his dreams hates rockers and there’s someone who wants him dead.

Kyle Matthews might have the music world by the horns, but when he loses out in love to his most famous client and best friend, he escapes into the wilds of the desert southwest on a restorative motorcycle trip. Will the hard driving, salty tongued gorgeous mechanic he relies upon to fix his Harley be able to mend his heart, as well?

If you’ve read this far, please take the time to leave a comment. You might just win a book by one of the Best Summer Reading Blog Tour authors and qualify for a $50 Amazon gift certificate to be awarded at the end of tour near the end of July.

This is a stop on the Best Ever Summer Blog Tour.

Eight authors in mixed genres trading blog space for eight weeks for your enjoyment. Someone on the blog tour is giving a prize every week – this week find me, Regina Andrews, with Lynn Hones at her blog: lynnhones.wordpress.com

There will be a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift certificate awarded at the end of the tour. Enjoy the blogs and leave comments for the opportunity to be the grand prize winner. One entry ticket per comment!

What a great subject for this week or any week for an author for so very many reasons. I’ve always been a reader and I think that in many ways it stimulated my imagination to the point where I would often want more after I had read ‘The End’ in any book I was reading. Also, I’ve found that in reading other authors, I see techniques that make me want to read more by this author or turn me off to where I won’t read another of their books and put my readers through whatever it was that turned me off.

For instance, I think Leon Uris, John Grisham and Janet Evanovich create characters that have great reader appeal due to the multi-layered depth those authors ‘show’ of their characters. I think Tom Clancy uses far too many acronyms. I read fiction for enjoyment and his use of technical jargon often takes me out of scenes while I have to figure out that the code he is using may only stand for a military rank or operation code. He is great at plot, but I don’t want to work that hard for my enjoyment reading. I like a writer to set up a scene, but then let me do some visualizing. I’ve tried reading Sue Grafton, but her – she unlocked the door, she walked across the front room, she walked into the kitchen, she saw the blinking light on the telephone, she walked across the kitchen and put her finger on the play button, she …. – . Way too much detail for me. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that writers benefit from reading these successful authors and deciding what works for their stories, their characters, their readership.

Right now, I’m reading Janet Evanovich’s eighteenth book on the antics of Stephanie Plum, bailbondswoman. Her characters are what keep me coming back. She has wacky plots featuring her wild and crazy characters and bail jumpers.

I just finished 50 Shades of Gray. Total bore. I felt I was reading ‘Sadism and Bondage for Dummies.’ The characters were flat and unbelievable. My biggest complaint was that there was absolutely no closure of any aspect of the story. As I read the last page, I felt like the author was giggling at me any saying, ‘Gotcha! Now pay me more to find out what happens.”

Before that, I read Dear Wife by Gladys Malvern, who writes young adult books featuring strong female characters making their way through a factual historic era. She was out of date for a while but her books are making a comeback. She is wonderful at character development and show versus tell techniques.

I hope that my thoughts on what I read and why makes some sense to you. Let’s face it, what is a good read for one person is not someone else’s cup of tea. I just appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you. If you’ve read this far, please take the time to leave a comment and answer the following question. ‘What young adult book author is making a comeback? You might just win a book by one of the Best Summer Reading Blog Tour authors and qualify for a $50 Amazon gift certificate to be awarded at the end of tour near the end of July.

Book Excerpt

After the War, Before the Peace by Sharon Poppen – (Excerpt – An opportunity to plead their case for amnesty before Congress is discussed by the four Farrell brothers.)

Jim and Joe, standing side-by-side assessing the small herd, turned and waved to their younger brothers. Once they were settled around one corner of the corral, Jim began.

“The news in San Antonio was good. Amnesty is on the agenda for this session of Congress.”

“And?” Joe gave the appearance of being totally absorbed by his study of the cattle.

“They want a Reb to come to Washington to testify. They want to hear our side for a change.”

Again, “And?”

“It’s scheduled for right after the first of the year.”

Joe turned to meet Jim’s eyes. “I hear you and you’re right it’s good news. I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Well, yeah. It’s what we’ve wanted for a long time. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll listen, wipe the slate clean and we can start over. But in order to start over, we have to take some pretty big risks I reckon. I haven’t heard you mention any immunity in return for our testimony.”

“No. They couldn’t get it. They were told it would open up a can of worms.”

“Leaves us with our own can of worm, doesn’t it?”

Jim tried to affect a casual shrug. “That’s what I told Ethan. But, listen. It may not be too bad.” He turned to his youngest brother. “Dan, tell them about Ethan’s plan.”

Dan reiterated the conversation in the hotel room. Joe and Michael listened without interruption or comment. He tried to keep his distaste for Jim’s solo commitment out of his narrative. He concluded with, “Jim finally agreed it was a good plan and that he would do it.”

Michael stretched his arms out full length, grabbed hold of the top rail of the corral and slowly pushed himself back and forth. He had to think. It didn’t bother him that Jim made the decision on his own, that was just Jim taking care of the family. It did bother him that Jim would be alone. He knew intimately the value of having his brothers at his side when skirting danger. Joe saved him from having to make a comment. Michael folded his arms over the top of the corral, rested his chin on his arms and stared into the herd as he listened to the controlled fury.

“You agreed to the plan.” Joe shook his head from side to side. “YOU agreed did you?”

“Now, Joe don’t read more into —

“Don’t tell me what to read into this. For Christ sake I’m thirty-three years old. I damn sure don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

“Joe, listen I —

“No! You listen. To me, to them.” He nodded toward the younger brothers. “Seems to me, I remember a time when Dan’s input was quite wise. Does the name Pike mean anything to you.”

Jim sighed. This was going to be as hard as he had dreaded. He turned to Dan.

“Okay. You’ve wanted to talk for the past three days. Lets have it.”

“We made the raids as a foursome. We’re all equally wanted by the law. It isn’t your freedom or good name that’s at stake. It’s each of us; we’re all Farrells. Pa started this whole thing out saying that we had a duty to avenge all the wrongs perpetrated under the guise of war. He said, and I’ve heard you make the same statement, it’s our duty as Farrell men.” He paused and glanced at Joe, who nodded agreement. The back of Michael’s head was all he could see and from his stance, Dan had to assume he had his support. He continued. “Now, how come our duty is over, but your duty is to take the biggest risk of all? By yourself. How come?”

“Before I give my reasons, I want to hear from all of you. Mike?” Michael didn’t answer right away. “Michael?”

Michael raised his head and turned to face his brothers. He began slowly. “I think you’re wrong, Jim. You’re making us feel unimportant, inadequate, not your equal. You’re giving us a worry that gnaws at our guts.” Jim grimaced. Michael’s voice got stronger. “But, somehow, someway you’ve always been there for me and come through for me when I’ve been flat-assed stupid.” Jim felt some hope. The other two leaned forward in disbelief. “Like I said, I think you’re wrong. That we should face this together, but I reckon I’ll support your plan.”

“What?” The question was a chorus from two of his brothers. Jim smiled his thanks.

“Mike, what the hell?” It was Joe. “You, of any of us, should realize how we need each other.”

“Yes. I do.” Michael turned to Dan. “He needs our support.” He turned back to Joe. “He needs peace of mind. To keep his mind clear.”

Joe shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t believe this!”

“Yeah, Mike.” Dan looked at Mike as if he were a stranger. “How can you …how will you … Christ. I don’t believe this either.”

Not one of the four could think of a thing to say. Jim looked from brother to brother. They had disagreed and argued before, sometimes had words, but it usually ended with each respecting the other’s final point of view. He couldn’t remember any other time when he had looked across at brothers whose faces reflected such animosity. He broke the silence.

“Listen. Please? This is so important to all of us and to those we love. Hell, you three know that I’d trust you with my life in the blink of an eye. A man couldn’t have finer brothers, never has.” Joe and Dan wore faces of stone. “I sure don’t want to be a sacrifice. And, if I thought that’s what I’d be I wouldn’t be giving this a second thought. But think! This could be it. We could be free. Free to move back to the States. And most important, Pa’s name would be cleared.” Their silence hurt his heart. He continued. “Look at us. We’re not the country gentlemen of Summerville anymore. We’re men of the West. Even in a citified suit, people would identify us as rugged men of the West. If the four of us arrived in Washington as a group and walked into that courtroom, it would be intimidating. It could affect the thinking of the Congressmen. Would they view all Rebs as a threat? Remember, we’re still held in great disdain in many northern cities.” Dan was biting his lip, but Joe had lowered his eyes. “One man dressed in city clothes wouldn’t be so intimidating. They may be more inclined to listen objectively to our complaints and rationale.”

“We agreed years ago. We’d watch each other’s backs.” Joe challenged.

“Joe, listen to me. You will be watching my back. I need to count on your support, your input.”

“It’s not enough for me. I’m your partner. Partners share the rewards and the risks.”

Jim sighed. It was killing him to be at odds with his best friend. He wanted to say, “Alright, come on,” but he had to consider the whole family. He needed to do this alone. “Partners know when to back off.” His inner turmoil put a dismissive edge to his voice.

Joe misinterpreted. He stepped back as if struck. “Go to hell!” He turned and stormed away.

Jim went after him. “Joe. Stop. Let’s talk some more.”

Joe was already mounted. He pulled his horse up in front of his brothers. “Go on, Mr. I don’t need anyone. Go it alone.” He turned to Michael and Dan with a look of disgust, then looked back at the brother he loved more than anyone in the world. “Go on. Save the Farrell family. You self-righteous son of a bitch.” He jerked his horse, applied his spurs and sped away.

“Joe! Joe!” Jim called to the retreating back of his brother. Realizing that Joe wasn’t listening or coming back, Jim felt a wave of nausea rise from his gut to his throat. He bent over and swallowed hard to keep the bile down. “Jesus. Oh, God. Why can’t he see it? Why can’t he see it?”

Michael nudged Dan to get the horses, then put his hand on Jim’s shoulder. “He’s been with you since the beginning. It’s harder for him. He’ll work it out. I’ll talk to him. Besides, you know Joe. He’ll do something to work out his frustration and anger and probably beat us home for supper.”

Jim shook his head. “I don’t think so. Not this time.” He turned and faced his kid brothers. Michael tried for a grim smile, but Dan was sullen as he handed Jim the reins. These normally companionable brothers didn’t share another word all the way back to town.

(to be continued)

Sharon’s Bio

Sharon Poppen ( www.sharonpoppen.com ) has won awards from Arizona Authors Assoc. and National League of American Pen Women. Her western novels After the War, Before the Peace, Hannah and Abby-Finding More Than Gold are available at Amazon Books, most web based book sellers and from her website. Her work has appeared in such publications as A Flasher’s Dozen, Desert Treasures, Skive, Offerings from the Oasis, A Long Story Short,Apollo Lyre and Laughter Loaf. Her workshops on Journaling, Short Story Writing and Blogging bring rave reviews. Sharon is a member of Lake Havasu City Writer’s Group. Her gay/sci-fi novel Regardless will be available in print and ebook the fall of 2012.

There will be a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift certificate awarded at the end of the tour. Enjoy the blogs and leave comments for the opportunity to be the grand prize winner. One entry ticket per comment!

This is a hard question for me to answer because so far I have not enjoyed a normal year. You see, last October I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, reportedly the most dangerous form. My whole life changed; it shrank to medical procedures and discomfort. (Thank God, not very much pain.) Because I am a writer and an independent computer consultant, I didn’t have to go to work 9-5, but I also didn’t go much of anywhere except hospitals. I didn’t go to bookstores, brick or otherwise.

I had a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. I was sick, tired, uncomfortable, exhausted, so messed up that I failed to promote the morphing of my third book into a paperback. I vegetated in front of the television and lolled in bed. I researched my cancer and the associated side effects, kept a diary (hopefully to be published somewhere), and couldn’t write romance to save my soul. Couldn’t clean the house, couldn’t work on anything meaningful. For a while, I could hardly walk. I could lose weight – lots of weight — though the doctors complained. What can I say? I wasn’t trying to lose weight.

My husband pulled out the boxes of “keepers,” those novels I had saved because I liked them so much. Most are Regency romances. Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Joan Smith, Barbara Metzger, Catherine Coulter – I had complete series to read, sometimes with double vision. And fall asleep over. I slept more than a college student with mono.

I’m okay now, thank you. Had a clear mammogram. My skin is almost recovered from what they carefully do not call radiation burns. I can get through the grocery store without collapsing. The doctor says to aim for two cancer free years – if I get past that, aim for five. I am to the point I can browse a bookstore, but I don’t have a clue what has been published, what received good reviews, what I might enjoy.

Instead of me telling you what I have been reading, I would love to hear about the outstanding books you recently read. What did I miss?

There will be a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift certificate awarded at the end of the tour. Enjoy the blogs and leave comments for the opportunity to be the grand prize winner. One entry ticket per comment!

Today I am visiting with Haley Hawthorne, the main character in my Inspirational Romance novel, In Good Faith. As part of the Best Ever Summer Blog Tour, Author (and some characters!) are talking about what inspires them today. I am also appearing on Christine LOndon’s blog this week at http://www.christinelondon.blogspot.com

Let’s hear what Haley has to share with us today!

RA: Welcome, Haley and thank you for your time today.

HH: My pleasure, thank you for having me, Regina.

RA: Tell us a little about yourself.

HH: Sure! I am an Art Director at a high-powered greeting card company in Manhattan. I was orphaned at a young age, and grew up in rural Dunbar Falls. My Uncle Nelson took me in. I felt like Heidi. It was a town of pasture lands and a clear sense of the things that matter most in life.

RA: Including God?

HH: Absolutely.

RA: Why would you ever leave there? It sounds perfect.

HH: Part of me never wanted to leave. But as UNcle Nelson always said, “A bird’s gotta fly.” He thought I should try new things. He was right.

RA: How did you change when you left?

HH: I became more confident after rising to so many challenges. The flip side of that, though was that I lost touch a little with the values that made me who I was. All the background of Dunbar Falls gave me all the research I needed for a great career in greeting cards, because there was so much caring and so much sincerity.

RA: Then?

HH: Then ironically, I lost a lot of what made me, ME, by getting caught up in the material trappings of what was all aounds me. My cards stopped selling.

RA: So what did you do?

HH: I would have kept going on that way, but Uncle Nelson died and I went back to Dunbar Falls to take care of things. That’s where I reconnected with my roots – did more research, if you will, to find myself again.

RA: What else did you find?

HH: Love, with an old friend, Aaron Carrier. Also, friends and a lot of new adventures. There’s more about that in “Act of Faith” which continues the story of “In Good Faith”.

RA: I heard that was in the wind! Very exciting 🙂 Thanks for being here today, Haley. Talk to you again soon.

HH: Thanks, Regina! Take care.

Here’s an excerpt fom “In Good Faith” by Regina Andrews:

CHAPTER ONE

“Ms. Hawthorne, could you look at these proofs?”

“Do you have a minute to go over this copy together, Ms. Hawthorne?”

“A call for you from Grace on line three, Ms. Hawthorne!”

Haley Hawthorne tossed her long red curls over her shoulder as she swept through the Creative Area of Sterling Greeting Cards. She carried a designer bag in one hand and a steaming latté in the other.

As Senior Art Director for the largest greeting card company in the world, these early morning entrances refreshed her enough to get through the day ahead. They were her redemption. But I can remember a time when I didn’t feel like that, and it wasn’t so very long ago.

A hush fell over the flock of artists and interns following behind her as she passed. With a frown she accepted a stack of messages from the leathery, outstretched hands of her receptionist Bernice, a fixture at Sterling’s for over forty years.

“I’m already carrying too much, Bernice,” she murmured.

“There, there.” With a motherly pat, Bernice tucked the papers under Haley’s arm. “Toting a heavy load can weigh you down, Haley. Maybe it’s time to think about what you really need to carry and what you can let go.” She gave Haley a look.

“Maybe you’re right, Bernice.” As if I haven’t already tried! That’s what was keeping her awake most nights. The old Haley used to travel light and breezy, her heart and soul as free as a bird. But lately she felt heavy in her heart and she couldn’t put her finger on why. How had things changed so much?

Ignoring the chirp of her cell phone, Haley walked down the corridor to her office, glancing at the framed collections of award-winning cards on the walls and the shelves crowded with shining trophies she’d won over the years. When would she get a chance to start her own company?

The fact that all her talent was padding someone else’s profit column wasn’t the only thing bothering her these days. There was something else that had been nagging at her for some time now, an emptiness she couldn’t fill with work…or with her boyfriend, Derek, either. All she knew was that she had to get through each day.

Her young assistant, Suzie, unlatched the chrome double doors to her office for her and Haley flashed the smile that had been opening doors for her all her life.

She called over her shoulder, “I’ll get to all of you in a minute.” The entourage scattered, leaving her and Suzie in the peaceful calm of her office.

And then she saw him.

“Aaron Carrier! I can’t believe it! What are you doing here?”

She put down her bag and her coffee and reached her hands out to him after smoothing her lemon yellow designer suit.

She gave him a warm hug, then turned to her assistant.”I’ve known this guy since we were kids. He and his two brothers were like triplets, they were so alike. I’ll never forget when he insisted we start calling him Carrier, to be different from his brothers Adam and Austin. Boy, were they mad…”

With his broad, six-foot frame blocking the Manhattan skyline in the window behind him, Haley noticed how his glinting azure eyes and thick hair had grown more imposing in the ten years that had passed since she had last seen him.

He jammed his fists deep into the pockets of his jeans. “Hey. We have to talk, Haley. It’s about Nelson.”

Her heartbeat quickened. “You’ve come all the way here from Dunbar Falls to tell me something about Uncle Nelson?” She glanced at Suzie, then back at him. “It must be bad news.”

“I’ll have Bernice hold all of your calls.” Suzie hustled off in a cloud of expensive perfume, latching the door behind her with a solid ‘click’.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Carrier. Is it bad?”

“Yeah. The worst.”

“He’s -”

Carrier nodded. “Last night.” His piercing blue eyes, steely as two sapphires, searched her face. But they didn’t stop there; they burned into her soul.

“Oh,” she sank into a chair. Closing her eyes, she did something she hadn’t done in ages; she said a prayer. Bless him, Lord, and keep him in Your eternal care.

Only she wasn’t sure how much of it was for Uncle Nelson and how much of it was for her. After a moment she opened her eyes, focusing on the carpet. “How did he-?”

“In his sleep.”

“So it was peaceful.”

“You actually care?”

Startled by his tone, she looked up at him, only to find him regarding her as if he smelled a vat of rancid egg salad.

“Of course I care!”

He continued accusingly: “You haven’t seen him or been back home to Dunbar Falls in ten years.”

She nodded as Carrier approached her so closely that she could smell his cologne. Could it be that same fantastic stuff he had been wearing that night on Johnnycake Hill? The memories flashed back into her mind, and so did her embarrassment.

“That’s not what I’m doing. Did. Things just change and people move on, that’s all. I don’t remember getting any messages from you. It goes both ways.”

“You left without saying goodbye. I knew you couldn’t wait to get out of Dunbar Falls! I respected that.”

She stood up.” I thought you came here to talk about Uncle Nelson.”

He wagged an index finger through the air towards her. “You’re trying to change the subject, Haley.”

“Carrier! Uncle Nelson died last night! That is what you came here for, isn’t it? To tell me?” Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her curls. Give me strength, Lord! “When is the service?”

“Actually, Watson’s needs to speak with you about that.”

“I’ll call them right away.” Noticing that his hand was on the doorknob, Haley suddenly felt that if she let him walk out now, she’d lose a part of herself and a part of her past forever. Help me, please, Lord! What do I say?

She quickly slipped herself between him and the door. “Listen, Uncle Nelson raised me. He understood that it was natural for me to leave. Being part-owner with his friend William Tyler, he gave me this entrée here at Sterling Cards. Nelson’s air conditioning company was a great business, but it’s black and white, Carrier, not creative.”

She waved her hand around the office. “Look at what I’ve created here! This kind of vision is what I put into my greeting cards. There’s texture, there’s color. It’s evocative and emotional. I couldn’t do this with condensing units at Hawthorne Mechanicals, as much as I loved Uncle Nelson. And I couldn’t do it in the vacuum that is Dunbar Falls. Nelson understood that.”

“You don’t have to defend your decision, or explain anything to me, Haley.”

“I know. I’m not.”

“But I know the real you. And you were running away, Haley.”

“I was headed for college,” she murmured.

“And what about Brandon Winterbottom?”

She felt the color flood her cheeks as she recalled the gang of kids laughing at her after the prom. “Ancient history. I was over him that night when he dumped me.”

“It was a pretty public dumping. And after the prom.”

“Thanks for reminding me! He dumped me in front of everyone. If it weren’t for you, I would have walked home. So thanks again, Carrier.” She changed her tone, trying to lighten things up between them and added: “Hey, I lived.”

He nodded. “And Nelson knew the way you felt about things?”

Haley’s thoughts went back to her uncle’s cozy study; their prayer times and their endless talks by the hearth with a comforting blaze crackling in the fireplace. Haley always thought of her Uncle Nelson, at seventy-five, as a spry and vigorous man who would just go on forever. What will I ever do without him?

“He never mentioned your visits or anything to me.”

“I asked him not to.”

“Why?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I was too embarrassed.” All the familiar humiliation came flooding back.

“But there was nothing to be embarrassed about, Haley.”

“Maybe that’s not how I saw it,” she said. “The whole town was laughing at me that night.”

He shook her head. “I couldn’t believe it. You never even said good-bye to me. We were friends.”

“I’m sorry about that. I just had to go.”

“You wanted to go.”

“Whatever.” Her cell phone chirped again. She was grateful for the interruption. This talk with Carrier was getting way too close to her core. Glancing at the sender, she saw it was another call from Derek and muted the ringer. She couldn’t deal with him right now. Not when she was dealing with her past. “Sorry about that, too.”

“Typical big city stuff, huh?” Carrier raised an eyebrow.

“Right. Pretty empty, though, all of it. With the news you just brought me, Carrier, my big city stuff and the card industry really don’t seem that important right now.”

Reaching for her designer case, she moved from the doors. She could feel Carrier’s eyes blazing through her like a high-tech core-boring machine. Right through her impeccable facade and deep into her less than perfect heart, just like she knew he would.

Yet, for all the confusion he created in her, the heaviness she had been feeling had lifted since he had been there, too. What did that mean?

“There’s no reason to run from me now, Haley. A lot of time has passed. Things have changed for both of us.”

Her lips were parted to reply, but the look in his eyes stopped her short. His forlorn expression tugged at a very special part of her, the part that designed greeting cards so loaded with feeling that they flew off the store shelves as quickly as she could pump them out. She hadn’t felt this in a long, long time.

His expression was filling a gap in her, for he was filling her with exactly the kind of emotion that was so totally absent from her own life. How had that emptiness happened?

She shook her head. It was too much for now. Her thoughts turned back to the present, with Carrier. He was hurting from this loss, too.

She moistened her lips. “You’re right, Carrier, things have changed for both of us. This is a lot for me to digest now. I wasn’t planning on seeing you, it’s a shock. Just give me some time, that’s all. I know you’ll miss him, too.”

Something in his eyes went cold. It seemed to take forever before he answered her.

“Nelson was a phenomenal man, a pioneer in business and a trailblazing entrepreneur. But in the end, he was just another Hawthorne who never said good-bye to me,” he finally said.

It’s week two of the Best Ever Summer Blog Tour. Nine fabulous authors in mixed genres trading blog space for eight weeks for your enjoyment. It’s a chance to meet great authors and discover exciting new books. Someone on the blog tour is giving a prize every week – I’ll leave it for you to discover whose blog is featured – with more prizes to come at the end of the tour. What will the big prize be – a Kindle, a hefty gift certificate, a unique needlepoint Kindle cover? Enjoy the blogs and leave comments for the opportunity to be the grand prize winner! Today I am thrilled that author Corinne Davies is visiting. Welcome!

Hi everyone and welcome to the second week of the Best Ever Summer Blog Tour. I’m Corinne Davies and I first off want to give Regina a BIG thank you for hosting me here today!

One of the things that drew me to this blog hop is that we all write a variety of genres. Touring around the blogs on this tour you get to experience a wide variety of styles and perhaps find something new to tempt you.

It’s very easy to get lodged into reading the same genre. I associate it to drinking wine, (like, I do most things in life LOL). You might love Cabernet Sauvignon and experimenting with one from a different country is fun but every once in a while it’s a nice to have a big rich Shiraz or really shake things up and go for a Gewürztraminer. You never know when you might find a new favourite.

When I started writing I really didn’t have a genre in mind. I started writing and let the characters dictate where they belonged. Because of that, I have a variety of genres in my portfolio that, coincidentally, they reflect my reading habits as well.

The Believing series were my first two books and they’re heavily influenced by my love of Greek mythology. I had a great time working in some of the lesser known or recognized gods and goddess from the Parthenon.

Then I tried my hand at a classic romance with Haunted Hearts. I originally planned that Mac and Gwen would have a third. As I started writing, I realized that they were only interested in each other. My obsession with ghosts and ghost stories heavily influenced some of the situations that they faced.

Then came, Steampunked Lust. I’m not sure if you are familiar with Steampunk but think of it as all the glamour of the Regency/Victorian time period with advanced technology. This style/genre has always fascinated me and in the world I’ve been creating the skies over the Atlantic ocean are ruled by pirates and their flying ships. William Wallace was never killed and the New World battle the Old World for moral superiority.

Then while hiking through Algonquin Park one day, I discovered Ecstasy Lake, a small tourist town in Northern Ontario that is home to a variety of shape shifters and other magical beings.

I’ve loved getting to know the inhabitants of this small town who are free to live their ménage relationships. (Which is why someone keeps vandalizing the sign outside of town by painting a 3x over Ecstasy.) Ever since I was a kid, I loved the idea of being able to shape shift into an animal. Writing stories about werewolves and tigers and bears, (Oh my! ) I get to live that existence vicariously through my characters.

And that is a little peek into the genres I have found myself playing in. I’m always on the lookout for a new favourite book, to enjoy along with a new favorite wine, of course 😉 I’ve found a few with the great authors that I’m sharing this blog tour with.

Excerpt from Believing is Seeing.

“Pasithea…”

“That’s not my name. It’s Amy or Amaryllis.” If her dream kept going this way, she wanted to hear her own name, not that of a long gone goddess.

“Little flower, one would never be enough for you.”

Amy stood between the two men feeling petite. At five foot ten, she hadn’t experienced such an unusual feeling before. The hands on her shoulders gently kneaded, as another pair slid over her ribs and down her back in soothing circles. Sighing she could feel the anger and sadness drain out of her. The winds calmed down and the clouds dissipated until it seemed as though the storm had never happened. Color flooded back into the world around them, seeming so much more intense after her eyes had become accustomed to the gray.

She would have commented on the weather, but when she lifted her face and opened her mouth to talk, a pair of lips gently brushed against her own. “Let us take care of you.”

“This is a dream.” The thought floated down to subdue the rising nervousness.

“If you would just believe, it could be so much more,” Hypnos gently kissed her shoulder, his words a soft caress against the sensitive skin under her ear.

“But, I don’t know where to start.”

“Then look at me, Amy.” A finger pressed gently on the underside of her chin tilting her head. She looked over her shoulder and up into Death’s warm chestnut eyes. Hypnos took advantage of her arched neck to slide his satiny lips along it.

“A life time ago, you called us Nos and Than. Why don’t you start there?